Cat + Fish Tank

[ginnah]

Yeah, the very unoriginal picture you often see, the cat with it's paw in a goldfish bowl. Mine is a bit different though, and not a picture really. D;

My cat often will climb up onto my keyboard and sit, for a minute, and watch my female Betta. Then she will start attacking it through the plastic, as that is the kind of tank it is, and Alice, my Betta, will swim hard and fast against the other wall, nose into, trying to get away. My cat has also managed to get the top open, it's clipped shut and is hard for me even to get open. How can I keep the cat away from the tank, I'm afraid, if anything, she'll give my fish a heart attack. D; My door is always closed if I'm not in my room. Also, if needed, the tank is over 5 gallons but not quite 10... It also has a filter and a oxygen stone plugged into the plug that she will often knock out if she, my cat, is up there.

[Traci]

Put the fish tank in a closed room your cat cannot get to, in this case, don't let the cat into this particular room. Fish stress easily, and everytime the cat is near, the fish is stressed.

[ginnah]

It is. When I'm in my room, like now, my cat just went and jumped up there even though she knows she's not allowed to be in here.

Hm, I just thought, small squirt gun/spray bottle? Would that be a good way to prevent her from coming in when I'm in here?

I really don't like the door closed unless I'm sleeping or not in my room as I feel claustrophobic with it closed to long and it causes poor air circulation through out the house.

[Traci]

You can try the squirt bottle, but wouldn't it be easier, and easier on her if you simply did not allow her in that room?

Open a window in the room for fresh air, turn on soft music, that may help your claustrophobia when you're in the room with the door closed.

[ginnah]

I don't allow her in the room, that's just it. She comes in anyways. When she comes in she sneaks in. We have central air conditioning so we can't have the windows open with it on, and I usually have music or the TV on anyways. That's why I asked for solutions other then closing the door to keep her out. I'll try the spray bottle and see how that goes. Thanks. I didn't know if there was things that kept cats off furniture is basically what I was looking for. Ways to keep her away from that small area.

[mamabear]

Also just to add this. Betta's do better in small bowls. I do know that people think it is horrible and cruel but betta's do live in tiny shallow water holes and prefer it. Just be careful with the tank being so big that Alice doesnt stress over it being to large.

Love the name alice.

[ginnah]

I found a site for Betta's, healthybetta.com and it recommends a tank over 1 gallon.

She's named after Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lol. My male Betta, in a different tank that is never bothered by the cat yet in the same room, is named Steve from Over The Hedge..... named after, well, the Hedge.

[mamabear]

Ginnah, that is hysterical. Good to know about the betta's tho being in a gallon tank. Thanx for the tip. I pm'd you too

[ginnah]

Yeah. I've been thinking about the whole thing, my male Betta, Steve, is in a 1 gallon tank and I've been thinking of getting a 2.5 gallon for him but I'm just worried it may stress him out too much as he's been in the 1 gallon for quite awhile now...